


Nothing Sweeter Than Revenge

by Kyozumiibeans



Series: Don't You Want To Feel Safe? [2]
Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Anxiety, Blood, Daniel returns, Davids not an idiot, Insomnia, It's a sequel, It's gonna get heavy, Kidnapping, Manipulation, Mind the Tags, Mr. Honeynuts is the true hero, Nightmare Sequence, Nightmares, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plot Twist, Recreational Drug Use, Sleep Deprivation, Smoking, Stockholm Syndrome, Suicide, Truama, Vomiting, bloody nose, dadniel, dadvid, happy end, its gonna go down, protect my children, this is dark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-01-07 11:53:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12232308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyozumiibeans/pseuds/Kyozumiibeans
Summary: A sequel to my story "Don't Drink The Koolaid" in which Daniel returns to Camp Campbell for revenge.This time, things would be different.---------------------------------------------I just added the real ending B) Thanks for reading





	1. Nightmares, Nightmares, Nightmares

It took Max a solid week to be able to sleep semi-comfortably again after what's-his-face tried brainwashing the entire camp. No one got hurt besides that weird freak show. But, there was a nagging feeling of dread taking place in Max's stomach.

Rolling onto his side, his grip tightened on his beloved teddy bear. Sleep was always something Max had issues with. Once his mind started racing, nothing could stop him. However, lately his cause for staying up had changed.

Whenever Max woke up, he could vaguely remember dreams -Nightmares- of Daniel. Sometimes they were whispers, other times it was weird abstract stuff, sometimes his dreams were just full of...Daniel.

Continuing his tossing and turning, Max pulled his blankets up over his head. Sometimes thinking of other things helped him sleep. So maybe that would help tonight? Taking his mind off of that weird cultist with some good thoughts was a pretty decent idea.

There were so many things that Max could think of...like his friends! Nikki and Neil were always there for him. They never pryed into his personal life. Not to mention, they understood Max's dry humor. 

But, Daniel could brainwash them again and Max couldn't do anything. 

Shit. Okay, maybe a different thought. What about Mr. Honeynuts? 

Yeah, his bear had always been precious to Max. In fact, he was his closest friend. Whenever Max was hurting physically or mentally, Mr. Honeynuts was there to make things better. 

Until the fucking Woodscouts stole him. 

Shuddering at the thought, Max snuggled his bear closer. Those fucking woodscouts kidnapped his only friend. It's a miracle he got him back.

Motherfucker this was going to be a long night.

\--------------------------

Hair a mess, Bags under his eyes, and a scowl on his face; Max made his way into the mess hall. The plan was to make a dead shot toward his table to sit with his friends. Of course he could have ditched and hid in his tent the rest of the morning, but Max just felt he couldn't be alone right now.

As soon as he entered the mess hall, he realized David was standing in his usual spot by the door. Everyday in the mornings the red headed counselor would stand by the door and take roll of the campers on his clipboard. Most of the time it was David, seeing as Gwen hated the mornings with a passion. There was always something comforting about seeing David waiting for him every morning. It made Max feel like he wasn't so much a burden but actually a person.

David ruffled his hair affectionately earning a small flinch from the younger.  
"Why good morning Max! What's with the long face? Did you not sleep well?" Placing his hands on his hips, David gave the younger a concerned look. 

Over the course of the summer, David had learned not to make a big deal of Max's flinching or jumpiness. Whenever asked about it, he was promptly told to fuck off. So, he stopped making such a big deal of it. Sure David asked occasionally, but not as often. This stirred conflicting feelings for the boy. Sure it was nice not having to mention to David why. But, there was always a small twinge of sadness whenever nothing was mentioned. 

Rolling his eyes, Max scowled back. "Oh yeah I just slept fucking great." David always had a special way of pissing him off. From the constant shower of positivity to the way he was like a dad to how he made Max feel safe. Nevermind. Max wasn't going to think about that right now. There were more pressing matters.

Frowning, David placed a hand on Max's shoulder. "Tell you what. You don't worry about this morning's activities. Just go to your tent and take a na-"

"No!" Max wasn't aware he shouted until he heard his own voice. Clearing his throat, he looked toward his feet. "I-I'm not tired." He murmured. There was no way he was going to deal with those weird nightmares right now. 

Opening his mouth to protest, David felt Max shake his hand off before stomping toward his table to join Nikki and Neil. Geez, that kid was always so moody. 

Leaning against the wall as more campers made their way into the building, David took note of Max's eye bags. Not to mention the kid had no colour in his face and his hair was a mess. Obviously, he hadn't been sleeping well.  
Looking around the mess hall, David realized that none of the other campers seemed to be as tired. Maybe Max's insomnia was just kicking his ass?

Or maybe Max was having those weird dreams as well.


	2. What are Colours?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The nightmares were getting weirder and weirder. Only one bear can help Max.

Cold.

Everything was so cold.

Opening his eyes, the first thing Max saw was the pure white walls surrounding him. No, they were black. No, they were white.  
What colour were they? What were colours?  
Head spinning, Max closed his eyes tightly. His mind was blank.

Why was everything so cold?

Slowly opening his eyes, Max saw his breath taking the form of fog. It was almost like standing outside in the winter as a kid, trying to pretend to be a dragon or Danny Phantom. 

Except his breath was purple. Bright purple.

Fear creeping up his spine, Max took an instinctive step forward, then another and another. The sound of his shoes hitting the ground made a soft echo resonate through the room.

Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap.

The further he walked, the further the wall moved ahead. It was as if Max was walking in place. Frustration building up, his pace quickened to a run. Still the wall kept moving. This didn't make Max stop quite yet. He kept his pace and kept running.

 

Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap.

Then he stopped, out of breath. What was the point? Panting softly, Max felt as if he had been running for miles. He was sweating and his body felt heavy. Considering taking his hoodie off, Max glanced down and realized his clothes were bleached white. 

White...

A chill crept up his spine as a faint sound began to softly resound through the room, getting louder. 

Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap, Tip, Tap.

It wasn't him. Max was standing still as a post, which meant that someone -or something- was behind him.  
Fear taking over, he began to run as fast as he possibly could.  
The sound was gone. The walls were changing shapes and colors. Max's lungs stung from running so fast, so he paused for just a second. 

Suddenly, he felt himself being knocked onto the ground, he couldn't breathe.

\--------------

Sitting straight up in his cot, Max felt his heart beating quickly. It was going to bounce out of his chest. His breathing was out of whack as well.

Taking a few deep breaths, he reached toward a familiar stuffed bear from under his pillow. Kissing it quickly on the forehead, Max tucked Mr. Honeynuts in next to him and felt his heart beat return to normal-ish. He felt his eyes getting wet and starting to sting. He sniffed and cuddled Mr. Honeynuts closer.

There was nothing to do besides stare at the ceiling until day break.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I wrote the rough draft of this I was very tired and wrote "He felt weak and his arms were heavy" bEFORE REALIZING EXACTLY WHAT I WROTE


	3. Tea Can Fix Anything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Concerned about Max's well being, David decides it's time to figure out whats up. Max finally breaks down and tells David. They find a quick cure to Max's insomnia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes there is a Shane Dawson reference B) Enjoy the chapter

The sun began to lazily set in the sky as David organized a folder of papers. Today had been full of stress and concern, so doing something to take his mind off his thoughts seemed like a good idea. Besides, it needed to get done. 

All day, David felt nauseous and slightly on edge. It was as if he was being watched by something. No matter what, he just couldn't shake the feeling of dread and paranoia. Out of the corner of his eye, he could have sworn he'd see something but whenever he quickly turned around, whatever it was had disappeared. 

Shaking his head slightly, David tried not to think too deeply into it. There was too much to worry about without anxiety rearing its ugly head. For about a week straight Max had been looking like absolute shit. He'd stopped taking care of himself, hair always in knotted disarray, Clothes rumpled and wrinkled as if he'd slept in them, and the dark patches under his eyes.

The kid probably hasn't slept very well, if at all, the last few days.

Deciding the best way to fix this was to give Max a talk. Maybe David could find out more about how severe the situation was if he just talked to him. Maybe give him some advice. From the state Max was in, he probably could use it.

Folder completely organized -very professionally in David's opinion- there was nothing left to do. All the activities were finished, the campers were out roaming the camp grounds on their adventures, and Gwen was inside taking the rest of the night off. 

Folder in hand David decided that he'd take his paperwork back to the cabin and check on Gwen. 

The walk back was very peaceful, especially since the sun had gone down, it had cooled down significantly. Crickets chirped and leaves russled gently in the surrounding trees. The sounds of laughing and rough housing from the campers filled the air. This was part of the joy at Camp Campbell. Everything was peaceful. 

Occasionally, David would see a camper doing questionable activities, but found it best not to say anything. There was no harm in Nerris attempting to teach frogs to do her bidding, right? 

Knocking softly on the oak door, David entered the cabin quickly. Making his way over to the desk he put the file in its rightful place before he was interrupted.

"Hey David, how's the little monsters holding up?" Gwen sat in her chair, eyes fixated onto the television in front of her, Cup of tea in hand.

"They're doing just fine, Nerris was practicing her leadership skills with a hoard of frogs."

"Ugh, not again. Whatever makes her happy or whatever." Rolling her eyes and taking another sip of tea, Gwen turned her attention back to the TV. 

Curiosity taking the better of him, David snuck a sneaky look toward the television. Maybe seeing what Gwen watched on TV would provide insight on how to improve his friendship with his Councilor Buddy for Life (CBFL).

"My favorite Popsicle flavor is DICK." A girl from the television shouted.

Yeah, nope. He could work on improving their friendship some other time. Instead, maybe having that talk with Max would be a good idea, then by the time he was finished talking to Max it would be around time for the campers to go to bed. 

Putting some pep in his step, David left the councilors' cabin and made a bee line towards Neil and Max's shared tent. As he speed walked, David quickly checked his watch. 8:57 PM. 

Finally making it to the cheap tent door, David knocked. The tent door being hit created an odd fwish fwish noise due to the material. Maybe not knocking, per se...

"Ugh. Jesus dick." 

Unzipping the tent flap, Max took no time to send his nastiest glare toward David. "What the fuck are you doing here." It wasn't posed as a question, but more of a direct statement. 

Placing his hands on his hips, David stood his ground. "I came to check on you. As of lately, you've been looking terrible. We need to talk about it." Ugh, why was Max always so difficult?

If it was possible to slam a tent door, Max would have happily taken the opportunity at this precise moment. But alas, tent makers were not quite considerate of Max's feelings. Damn.

But, Max didn't want David to leave. Being alone seemed scary, even with Neil there with him. Maybe Max wasn't alone physically, but mentally he was lost in the ocean. Biting his lower lip, Max looked at the ground as he moved to the side, holding the flap open. 

"Make it quick, asshole."

Smiling widely at being able to help Max, David practically skipped inside. This was progress! Surely, the boy was finally, FINALLY warming up to him. 

Sitting on Max's cot, David looked around the tiny tent. Max and Neil's possessions were scattered about the place semi messily. He also took note of the fully functioning coffee maker. That explains where the coffee mix from the councilors' cabin was disappearing to. 

A small brown patch of fur instantly caught the councilor's attention from the corner of his eye. Turning to see what it was, David's heart practically melted.

Tucked neatly into the blankets as if it was sleeping was a small, worn teddy bear. What a cute kid. It would probably kill him if someone knew he had a teddy bear. Knowing Max, he'd be afraid someone would laugh. Especially his friends.

'But that wouldn't happen.' Smiling softly, David turned toward the small boy standing in front of him. Max had a scowl plastered on his face as he crossed his arms defensively. "What did you want to talk about? Hurry up with it, I'm a busy guy with many things to do."

Neil sat on his own cot, with a science book opened on his lap. He was squinting at the two across the room in confusion and annoyance. "I'm READING here." He shouted. 

Rolling his eyes, Max placed his hands on his hips before snapping at Neil. "Well, we're TALKING here. Try it some time, you need more socialization." 

Closing his book, Neil sent a nasty glare toward his best friend. "Fine. Maybe I will. Maybe I will." Before just up and leaving.

Crossing his arms again, Max sent an equally evil look toward the older. "Sorry." He grumbled.

Wow, okay. Max was extremely exhausted. He may be rude but not THAT rude. Especially to his friends.This was going to be a delicate process. It would be a miracle if this whole fiasco didn't end in tears.

Taking a deep breath, David patted the spot next to him, motioning for Max to sit. With little hesitation, he did. Turning to face Max, David began with an aura of concern. "Max, have you not been sleeping well? These last few days...almost a week now...you've been off. Angrier and...well, more emotional. You can talk to me, you know." As soon as David said his spill, he watched for Max's reaction.

Hugging his knees, Max pulled his hoodie over his legs. He was quiet. Should he tell David? He said he's there to help but, adults don't help. Adults never help they just make things worse. But, David was usually pretty nice. Did Max even trust David? Or was he just that tired? 

"Its...nightmares. Lots of them," getting more courage with each word, Max looked toward David. He decided that he trusted him. "They're...terrible."

"What are they about?"

"I don't know...people talking, weird walls, loud noises, and..." Max cut out completely, looking back toward the ground. 

"And?"

"And Daniel. What if he comes back? What would we do?" Burying his face in his hands, Max's voice sounded small, even to himself. But, he couldn't help it. Daniel was a freak.

Frowning upon hearing this, David placed his hand on Max's shoulder. "He can't come back. He went to the hospital. Besides, if something like that happens again, I'll take care of it. Last time he came to Camp Campbell we handled it just fine. We can handle anything. Camp Campbell has the best campers there is to offer. Let's try and find a way to stop your nightmares, okay?"

Without saying a word, Max nodded shakily. He was not going to cry. He was not going to cry. He was not going to cry. He was absolutely not going to cry.

Sniffing, Max felt his eyes getting wet. Why was he going to cry? What the fuck. He had specifically told himself not to cry. He can't even listen to his own advice, Jesus Christ.  
Wiping his eyes with his hoodie sleeves, Max began looking everywhere but David's direction.

But, David was smart enough not to comment on it. Instead he began to think out loud, "Maybe tea? That works, some people try warm milk and honey...Maybe read or something before bed? I could get some melatonin..." He had to think of something. No way was a camper going to be in distress today. 

"You have tea?"

"Yes! Let's try it okay? Lately I've been having issues sleeping as well. How about I go get some from the cabin. I'll be righ-"

"I'm coming with you."

Pausing, David furrowed his eyes slightly. Okay, that was new. But perfectly okay! Max was finally not hating him as much as he used to. 

Standing up, David and Max made their way to the tent flap. "You know you can tell me anything, Max. I'll do my best to listen and we can find a solution to any problems." Earning a growl from the younger. Rolling his eyes, Max opened the tent flap. Only to be face to face with Nikki and Neil. 

"WHAT THE FUCK GUYS."

\----------

Max was lying in his cot staring at the ceiling. David had just given him a cup of tea and it seemed to be working, actually. For the first time in a week, Max was ready to fall asleep. He wasn't scared anymore, instead calm and kind of happy. But, Max didn't exactly know why, nor did he care. He was focused on finally drifting off to get honest to god sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well check it out, David's not a complete moron and Max has emotions! Progress


	4. Cleanliness is Key

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel is finally released from the hospital and has a new plan forming. But, to make it work, he needs to get through to a particularly angry kid.

The day finally came when he could be discharged from the Sleepy Peak Hospital and allowed to go back to his apartment. Having suffered from a fractured rib and multiple minor injuries, Daniel was pissed. Somehow, instead of brainwashing the entire camp and killing them off for his sacrifice to Zeemoog, Daniel got his ass handed to him by none other than the too stupidly-happy David.

Maybe there was something Daniel could do about this. But, there were so many unlikely variables.

In the meantime, the sink had a small pile of dishes taunting the blonde. Just the three dishes in the sink alone was enough to drive him up the wall. Daniel was never in his apartment, so it was always spotless. White walls and carpets were expertly taken care of, dishes always put away, clothes folded neatly, and of course an air freshener. 

While Daniel took pride in his tidiness, it always made it a bitch to keep clean after a murder. 

Red staining his bleached white clothing and the mud from his shoes trailing on the tidy carpet, bleach became his best friend quickly over the years. Not to mention, bleach could be used for many very useful activities! 

It didn't take long to finish the dishes. Wiping his hands on a small towel by the sink, Daniel had to begin scheming. How was he going to make Camp Campbell pay?

David was obviously more competent than Daniel took him for. So, maybe taking David down first would make killing the rest of the camp easier? How would he do that? The purification sauna was most likely destroyed by now...

However, if there was a link between Daniel and the camp, maybe it wouldn't be needed? After all, there was one camper who had to go through a...prolonged purification period. So, the effects may still be in action. If so, he'd be drawn to Daniel.

Leaning back against his counter, Daniel drummed his fingertips against the shiny surface, lost in thought. 

Maybe, just maybe there was a way to get through the little shit's head. 

Max wasn't exactly the most pleasant camper Daniel had come across. In fact, he was quite the opposite. Rude, loud, and he had a foul mouth. But, something about that boy intrigued him. He was also clever, loyal, and hard to crack. Even when the purification began to fuck up, Max never once shown any signs of it. He was clever, if it wasn't for him, Daniel would have gotten away with quite possibly the most wonderful massacre of the summer.  
Not to mention, David had taken to the boy awful fast. When the other campers were in danger, he didn't know whether or not to act on it until he knew for sure. How did he find out? Max. 

He was interested in what he could do. Max was probably capable of so much. Just from his last visit, Daniel knew he was full of potential. If only the boy could apply himself to help him, then the two could accomplish dangerously amazing things.

 

That little shit was the key to Daniel's success. Even better, he was definitely more likely to still be suffering the affects of the purification methods, if Daniel put some extra work into it, Max would not be able to snap out again. He would be completely under Daniel's control once again, but this time for a very long time.

Pushing off from the counter, Daniel walked across the hall toward his bathroom and straight toward the medicine cabin. Swinging it open, he scanned his options. From pill bottles, to Cologne, to poisons, there were many options to choose from. He'd have to get some more ingredients, but making another -stronger- purification liquid would be fairly easy. 

 

This time things would be different. This time everything was going to end in bloodshed and tears. David was going to regret even meeting Daniel.

Grabbing various sedatives, Daniel began to mix them before adding other ingredients. It had to work. He didn't want to kill him, he just needed to numb his mind. 

Entering the kitchen, Daniel made his way toward a cabinet and grabbed a small pack of purple Koolaid for flavor. He then poured the sugary dust into the mix. A small puff of purple flurred out of the bag. Later he was going to have to sweep.

\----------------

Max awoke with a jolt. Sitting straight up from his cot, he felt a stab in his stomach. Was he going to vomit? No way. But, just in case Max leaned over the side. Luckily, the feeling went away. 

Groaning, He felt around his cot for a familiar fluffy friend. Only to have his hand grab nothing but air. Eyes shooting open, Max turned around and realized his bear was gone. 

Eyes welling up with tears, a hard lump formed in his throat. What should he do? He could last the night right? No he couldn't. Should he tell David? Ew no. Maybe Gwen?

Panic taking over, Max swung himself out of bed and began to make his way toward the tent door. He didn't know where his feet were taking him, but he just had to go. Stomach filling with anxiety, Max was sweating nervously. 

Unzipping the tent, Max realized the sun wasn't even up yet. Who would even be up? Nonetheless, he kept walking. He would go to the counselor's cabin and say something like there was a snake in his tent. Something stupid. 

Ditching his hoodie for this adventure, Max didn't even put on shoes. He just kept walking. Something in his chest told him to go outside. So, he was going to follow that feeling. 

Shit, what else did he have right now?

The Campground was cool and the grass was slightly wet due to the early morning dew. The sun barely peeking over the forest trees actually looked beautiful. Or something.

Cabin in view, a light feeling of dread began to form in Max's chest. The ambivalence Max was feeling was almost unreal. The stomach ache suddenly came up. It was as if the wind was knocked out of him. 

A sudden russle in the trees snapped Max back to reality. Panic completely took over as the russling leaves came closer. Upon closer inspection, the sound was following a shadow in the forest. A tall shadow. It was coming closer. 

Suddenly, Max had an overwhelming sense of fight or flight -something was definitely wrong. Putting as much energy as physically possible, Max took off running toward the cabin. 

Banging on the door, Max felt the shadow getting closer. Much closer.  
He recognized that shadow.  
Pounding harder and louder, the door finally swung open to reveal David, still in his pajamas and messy bed head. 

"Max?"

Before Max could say a word he practically ran inside. 

"David! There's a shadow thing...monster! It's bad. What do we do? David?!" With that, Max finally broke down. Tears falling down his face and gross sobbing. Covering his face, Max kept crying. Even when David wrapped him in a blanket, sat him on the bed and held him in a hug. 

"Max, everything is okay I promise. I won't let anything happen." Yawning, David let his eyes wander toward the digital clock on his nightstand. 5:53 AM. "You need to get some sleep."

Calming down slightly, Max uncovered his face and looked up at David. "O-Okay, yeah. Okay. I'll try." 

This earned a smile from the older as he set Max down onto his bed. "Go to sleep, Max." Smiling softly, David ruffled his hair before getting up and walking toward his dresser. 

"Thanks Dad..." Max mumbled softly before falling back to sleep.

Pausing at Max's words, David smiled once more. But, he had to get up. While Max caught up on his sleep, David would get ready for the day and prepare the Camp for their daily activities.


	5. An Invisible Leash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max wakes up feeling groggy and sick when an invisible force takes him to his greatest fear. But is he dreaming or is it real?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting serioussss

The sun slowly peeking through the window heated the counselors' cabin up, as well as woke Max up groggily. Burying his face into the covers to hopefully avoid the brightness of reality Max knew he couldn't hide forever. Rolling onto his back and sprawling out to stretch on the soft blankets Max turned his head to face David's nightstand and immediately sat upright when he noticed a glass of water and an apple sitting proudly on the table. Sitting up to take a closer look, Max's eyes wandered to the bright yellow sticky note on the table. 

"Get some rest :) -David" 

Rolling his eyes at the cheesy message the paper was crumpled up and tossed toward the other side of the room. God, David was always so embarrassing. Each day he was acting less like a summer camp counselor and more like an overbearing parent. It was so annoying.

Nonetheless, the water was looking pretty good actually. Taking a hold of the glass with both hands, he drank the entire thing in just a couple gulps. The cool water helped Max feel a little bit better.

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, the room began to sway slightly. Bringing his hands to cover his stinging eyes, Max felt as if he'd never feel at ease again. The last sleepless nights had blurred into weeks already and now reality and dreaming was almost completely indistinguishable. Exhaustion wasn't just a state anymore it felt permanent all because of one reason...one person.

The constant ringing wouldn't leave Max's ears as he finally found the strength to rise to his feet. Yet he continued to take step after step toward the oak door. The strange calling feeling in his chest was back and it was as if an invisible force was pulling Max outside on a leash.

The bright sun almost made Max gag as he slowly unlocked and opened the door. The scent of pine needles and dirt filled his nose almost instantly made him sick. Shuddering, Max continued to walk. The feeling in his chest grew stronger with every step. 

Debating whether or not he should get his shoes and hoodie a loud noise suddenly snapped Max out of his daze. A loud crunch where the forest meets the campground caught the boys attention almost instantly. Snapping his gaze toward the source, Max felt his heart stop. 

A tall, blonde, white-clad figure stood at the edge of the clearing. Blood turning to ice, Max couldn't tell if he was dreaming or if this was real. There was a chance that if he approached he would just be woken up, just like in the past. But, what if it wasn't a dream? 

Releasing a breath Max wasn't aware he was holding, there was nothing left to do. Finally making up his mind, his feet carried him toward the figure.

As soon as Max was within a few feet of it, his vision suddenly cleared a bit. Standing tall, a smile on his face, and his arms tucked behind his back; Daniel stood there in the flesh. 

"Why hello, Max!~ I was wondering when you'd come visit me." Daniel spoke gently. Kneeling down in front of the boy at eye level; he held out a familiar, worn plush toy.

Smiling widely Max quickly snatched Mr. Honeynuts from the blonde and held it close. "You brought me my bear...did you take him?" Anger, fear, exhaustion, and confusion all at once began to swarm inside Max's chest. Was this real or just another nightmare?

Daniel laughed softly. "I would never take your bear. I just found it and thought you might want it returned." A smile plastered to his face as he lied through his teeth, things were finally going according to plan. Of course he stole his bear, the kid didn't have anything else in his tent worth taking.

"Well, thanks I guess." Taking a step back Max knew he had to get back to the rest of the campers. "I gotta get going though..."

Sighing softly Daniel lowered his head in an attempt to guilt the young boy. "You're leaving so soon?" throwing in a frown for good measure, he continued. "I need your help with something."

That feeling in his chest told Max to take a step forward, but his feet wouldn't move. He stood in place out of fear. This wasn't a dream. Max was holding his bear that had went missing last night before he walked toward the councilors' cabin. It was all real. 

Panic taking over completely, Max went to back away from the taller man, yet still he couldn't move. "I need to go." A sense of deja vu washed over him as Daniel stood up and took a step forward.

When Max didn't move back, Daniel knew he had to do it now. Revealing the rag from behind his back, he placed it over the boy's mouth and held it there until his eyes finally closed and he lost consciousness. 

Hoisting Max over his shoulder effortlessly, Daniel concluded with slight amusement that this is probably the most rest since the purification that Max has gotten. A smirk on his face, he proceeded to walk away from the camp to prepare for Max's purification sequence. And this time he wasn't going to fuck it up.

* * *

Trudging into the counselors' cabin after a long day of guiding activities, David was completely ready to go to bed. But, first he'd have to check on Max and make sure he went to bed alright. Then David would get some rest.

Reaching for the door handle, David realized it was unlocked. That was weird. Nonetheless, shrugging it off he opened the door quietly in case the little troublemaker was still asleep. But, the cabin was completely empty. The blankets were practically tied in a knot, the glass on the nightstand was completely empty, and his note had been thrown to the corner of the room. 

Rolling his eyes at the young boy's untidiness, David deemed it best to talk to him about it sometime. For now, he would probably take a nap and just check on Max at his tent and see how he was holding up later. Then tomorrow David and Max could hopefully address the cause of his insomnia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> David is a nincompoop sometimes


	6. You Should've Just Drank the Koolaid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel finally has Max and learns that he's been suffering the side effects of the purification methods from earlier. Now if only he'd stop being such a stubborn brat and actually listen to him.

The constant ringing in Max's ears gradually stirred him awake. In the hopes of getting more comfortable Max rolled onto his side only to be met with a sharp pain. Hand automatically finding it's way to the source of the pain, Max concluded nothing was actually physically wrong. It was probably just a sore muscle or something stupid like that. Though the pain wasn't very extreme, it was just enough to distract Max from the sense of panic that was slowly making it's way to fester in his stomach. This was all normal though, wasn't it? Max honestly felt he was cursed to suffer with living in a constant state of anxiety. Lately everything has been turning into some sort of routine lately.

For example, Nikki and Neil were going to tear through the flimsy tent doors any moment to wake him up, allowing the rays of the too bright sun to illuminate the dark tent, only to leave Max unable to go back to bed. However this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. As his rambunctious friends would finally settle down enough to allow Max to catch his breath, the trio would spend the next few minutes scheming the day together. Sometimes Nikki would throw in an idea that involved setting something on fire and other times Neil would talk about something sciency only prompting his friends to make fun of him. Maybe today would be the day they burned down the counselors' cabin. 

Max was unable to fight the mischievous grin forming across his face at even the thought of causing mass chaos and destruction with his friends. Throwing his blanket off in excitement to await his friends and start the day, the harsh reality of the situation suddenly hit Max like a truck. A jolt in his stomach almost made him sick when he realized where he was; or more so where he wasn't. Max wasn't in his tent at all. 

Almost suddenly an ambivalence of emotions began to take control of Max as he sat up. His heart practically stopped, his blood ran cold, and he couldn't breathe. It took all of his willpower not to throw himself into a full thrown panic attack. 

The room was dimly lit, yet it was perfectly spotless. The shaggy carpet had no stains and not a speck of dust was to be seen. The cleanliness actually made Max extraordinarily uncomfortable, as if he had just woken up to find himself in a cleaning commercial. The couch he soon realized he was sitting on was fairly soft, definitely softer than that shitty cot he was forced to sleep on. Then again, even an old rock would probably be more comfortable than the makeshift bed. 

"What do you think? Do you like it?" An eerily familiar voice chimed excitedly from the other side of the room. Flicking on the lights, Daniel leaned against the doorframe, a cup of god knows what in his hand. "I cleaned up a bit for you. However, I probably shouldn't have," Pausing to stir whatever liquid was inside the cup, Daniel nodded his head toward the bundle of blankets on the floor. "you're a messy sleeper."

An anxious -yet awkward- silence swept heavily through the room as Max looked down to see what was indeed a pile of discarded blankets at his feet. But, he was at a loss for words; shifting his gaze to wordlessly make eye contact with Daniel. All Max could do was furrow his eyebrows as confusion and anxiety began to blare sirens in his mind. 

However this only widened Daniel's smile as he began to stride across the room toward the younger. "Honestly, you've been out cold for hours...Almost a whole day even! I was beginning to think you wouldn't wake up." Sitting next to Max, Daniel gave a very unconvincing chuckle, "We wouldn't want you to not wake up. Right?" 

Doing his best to lean away from Daniel, Max didn't even fight the mix of anger and fear in his voice. "Where am I? Why can't you just leave me alone?!" Voice raising with each word, Max really didn't care if he offended this freak or not. Almost two weeks of anxiety and anger had built up and this was the only outlet he had at the moment.

Shaking his head in mock annoyance at Max's anger, Daniel found it best to pretend he cared. Pretending had gotten him this far so it had better get him through it. The little shit always knew exactly what buttons to push, so this would be a delicate process.

"Why, Max! You're at my house of course! I need you for something very important! It'll be fun I promise!" Placing his hand on the boy's shoulder, Daniel moved closer to make up for the space Max put between them. Though he tried his best, Max only stared up at him with an intense look of disdain. 

"Why should I? You've been using weird voodoo shit to mess with my sleep schedule AND make me feel like shit." Crossing his arms to emphasize his anger, Max knew he probably didn't look very threatening.

Upon hearing this, Daniel just paused for a moment. "What on earth are you talking about? I haven't done a thing to you besides purifying you to help you reach Ascension of course!"

Max stopped as well. Furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, he felt lost. "Wait what the fuck? You haven't been casting weird freaky diddly doos or whatever on me to make me hallucinate and lose sleep?"

Laughing softly Daniel could hardly contain his amusement at how naive the boy actually was behind his facade. "Max, I haven't done a thing...unless, oh yes. I understand. It was probably all just side effects of the purification process. That really is hilarious! Anyway, I need you to drink this."

"No." Max sneered, eyeing around the room in an attempt of finding an escape route. Maybe then he could ditch this psycho and call the cops or something.

Tightening his grip on Max, Daniel jerked him closer. "That was not a question, Max." He then moved the cup in front of his face rather harshly. "Drink." 

The moment the purple juice even came close to his face, Max's hands flew up to cover his mouth. There was no way he would risk it. It had a striking resemblance to the similar purple drink Max remembered from a few weeks ago that was supposed to be his last.

"Max." Daniel growled lowly, patience wearing thin.

Shaking his head, hands still over his mouth, Max was going to be a stubborn ass until he could think of something to help him escape from this entire situation.

Daniel took a deep breathe before reaching behind him and pulling a small rag out of his pocket. Dipping it in the purple liquid he began to ramble.   
"You know, you really are rude. I went to a lot of trouble to make you a newer, better purification liquid. I even added flavor for you. The least you could do was show me some appreciation for my kindness."   
Taking the now damp rag, Daniel pinched Max's nose to cut off his air supply abruptly. "All I was asking was for you to drink it, but instead you decided to be a pain about it and now we must do it this way. After all, you have to breathe eventually."

Sure enough, Max removed his hands rather quickly, to gasp for air. Unfortunately, in almost no time the now stained lavender rag was placed upon his mouth. It muffled a shout as Max closed his eyes tightly. It stung at the back of his throat when he breathed in, but he couldn't help it. Daniel held him in place as he harshly breathed in the chemicals. 

This prompted a slight chuckle from Daniel as he moved his hand behind Max's head to ensure he wouldn't squirm. "You know, Max. Consider yourself lucky. I've never done this personally. Usually I just vaporize it during the purification process. It would have gone a lot faster if you just drank it though."

* * *

"What do you mean you lost a camper, Davey? How do you just lose a child? Do you have any idea what's going to happen to me if this gets to the cops?" A gruff voice slurred through the phone. "Are you absolutely positive it's a missing kid?"

Sitting nervously on his bed, David nodded ernestly before remembering that Mr. Campbell couldn't see that from the other side of the phone. God, his mind wasn't working at all. "Yes! I mean, maybe! He's been acting weird for almost two weeks and then a few mornings ago he was yelling about some monster in the forest or something...when I didn't see him that day I didn't think it was...I didn't think...Max has been gone for days! He's not in his tent or around the camp! I think we need to call the cops or somethin-"

"Davey." Mr. Campbell said strictly, earning a silence from the other side of the line for at least a moment. "Tell you what. Do NOT call the cops. I'll handle it, I'll find the kid. Take a few pills okay? This is another Jasper situation. I'll handle it I promise."

"Y-Yeah, okay. You're right. Please find him, okay?" David took a deep breath in an attempt to let his worries dissipate. Mr. Campbell would find Max and everything would be okay again. 

"I've got to go to an important meeting, so I have to let you go. I'll handle everything." With that, Mr. Campbell hung up rather quickly.

\-----------

Once Mr. Campbell had finally gotten off the phone, he tossed it to the side and turned over in his bed to get more comfortable. He had better things to do than look for some lost brat. After all, he had to become the leader of Italy in about two weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Campbell is a peice of shit


	7. People Don't Want to Feel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max's purification process has begun and this time Daniel is trying something new. However since he began to purify the boy, Daniel himself had started to feel off. Mr. Campbell claims that he's going to find Max, but David is going to search for him as often as he can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'd love to give my friend 'Fluff Flight Fox' a shoutout! They drew this lovely art from the beginning of this series! It's of the fic "Don't Drink the Kool Aid" Please do check out their awesome art!
> 
> https://pin.it/9Rbw6QA

The lavender stained rag remained held forcefully to Max's mouth, only occasionally being taken off to be dipped in the purple liquid then returned back to its place. "See Max? This isn't so hard is it?" Daniel murmured softly, only to earn a small, muffled noise in response. "There, just a little longer and you'll finally be pure." Honestly Daniel had no idea if that was true or not. Whenever someone became pure it was usually by means of vapor. He'd never used the actual liquid. Whether or not this worked would be a mystery. But, that was a risk that Daniel was willing to take.

However, Max's reaction was enough to prove that it had actually been working. Watching Daniel with dazed, half lidded eyes, Max had stopped struggling after a few moments. When the process first began Daniel had to hold the boy down forcefully to even get close to him. Yet, now Max lay lazily across Daniel, almost completely zoned out toward the older.

Truth be told the lack of fight from the boy was beginning to unsettle Daniel in a way. At first he was worried that Max was unconscious, however occasionally he would say something only to be muffled by the rag over his mouth. A couple times he'd try to weakly get up only to be stopped by Daniel's tight grip. 

"Just think of all the great things you'll be able to do, Max!" Daniel began in hopes of stirring a reaction from the younger. "I can teach you so much."

Suddenly, the rag in Daniel's hand blossomed from a light purple to a crimson red. Almost instantly Max was held propped up against Daniel as the blood trickled down his face.   
"How the fuck did you get a bloody nose?" Daniel shouted, a sense of worry trickling into his words. Upon closer inspection it was very slight. Taking a hold of the cloth, Daniel wiped the blood off of Max's upper lip before deciding it was definitely time for a break. 

Max was held in a sort of bear hug as he stared up at Daniel, a small smile on his face though he hadn't spoken a word. Instead, he just watched Daniel through half lidded eyes, shifting his weight to move closer before burying his face in Daniel's chest.

The moment Max snuggled closer, Daniel's heart dropped at the sudden realization he was getting his blood all over his perfectly clean, white shirt. The thought of it alone was enough to make Daniel's skin crawl. Yet something about the boys actions gave him a warm feeling in his chest. He wanted to protect Max from the terrible sins and perfidies of the world. Oh wait...what?

Shaking those pesky thoughts away, Daniel rolled his eyes and gently picked Max up before making his way towards the door. It was about time he cleaned up the mess and this was the perfect opportunity to do it. 

Upon suddenly being carried Max grumbled and slung his arms lazily over Daniel's shoulder before rubbing his face into the white shirt once again, smearing blood onto a new section of the fabric.

Cringing at the warmth blossoming through his shirt Daniel felt the urge to walk faster toward the sink, yet he didn't. If he went too fast Max would probably fall or something, that was a risk he was unwilling to take.

Placing the boy gently on the counter, Daniel turned to soak the rag in warm water. Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed Max swinging his legs slightly. This earned nothing more than an eye roll and quite possibly a small smile at the childish behavior.

Once again Daniel shook his head in an attempt to ignore his thoughts. What on Earth was even happening? He hated children, especially this one. Max's nasty attitude and foul language annoyed the blonde greatly. Then again, Max didn't have an attitude or a foul mouth like this. 

The moment the warm rag touched Max's face, the boy furrowed his eyebrows and stared at Daniel as if he'd lost his mind. Nonetheless the blonde continued to dab at the blood in hopes of cleaning it up.

"Daniel?" Max slurred quietly, "What're you doing?" He added. Out of all the emotions Max had been feeling for the last few weeks, almost all of them were completely forgotten. A fuzzy feeling resided in his head as well as the soft swirls of happiness and confusion. However he wasn't complaining. Daniel was going to help him feel better. 

A moment of silence ticked past as Daniel rewet the rag with warm water. Attempting to scrub the purple tint from the purification liquid from around Max's mouth, he didn't answer right away. "Well, SOMEONE has to clean this mess and obviously you aren't in any condition for it. How are you feeling, Max?"

"I feel funny. I want to go home." Max slurred with a slight edge in his voice.

"Don't be silly! You are home!" Daniel chuckled in response, ruffling Max's unruly curls in hopes of comforting him.

\--------------------------  
The sun was barely rising over the forest tree tops as it seeped through the window onto the wooden floor of the counselor cabin. Wrapped in a blanket, David sat at his desk staring blankly at his notebook.

The notebook was full of arrows, dots, and writing. David was going to figure out exactly what had happened to Max. Though Mr. Campbell did claim he was going to search for the boy, David couldn't risk not finding the little troublemaker. The last time Camp Campbell lost a camper was Jasper. This would not become another Jasper incident. David wouldn't allow it. He'd already lost his best friend and now he was going to lose his favorite camper. 

Having been flipping through the pages for hours, adding information and piecing together missing bits, David honestly felt worse than before. The key factor appeared to be his sleep schedule. Could Max have been so tired he walked out of camp on his own accord? Maybe he was following something...or running from it. The nasty thought of Max being pursued by a mysterious figure was enough to make David feel as if he'd been punched in the stomach. Max had been yelling about some monster in the forest during his last day.

Grabbing a flashlight from the desk drawer and flicking it on, David knew he had to check the forest. That's where Max must be.


	8. Wait You Have to Take Care of Kids?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David finally breaks down and Gwen has to comfort him. Daniel's trying to adjust to Max staying with him and is preparing for his revenge on Camp Campbell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowie wow here we go

Searching the forest was a complete bust. After having spent almost the entire night using nothing but the light of the flashlight and a gut feeling to search for Max, David was finally beginning to give up hope. 

Slumping against a tree, David felt lost to say the least. Where could Max have gone? Maybe he was deeper in the forest? Perhaps he was wandering around and got lost? But, that was so unlike the small boy. Unless something dangerous happened. After all, one camper went missing long ago while wandering the forest.

His stomach began to twist at even the thought of Jasper's death, the thought of finding Jasper's body being torn u-No. David shook the thoughts from his head. He couldn't handle this now. 

Finally David got back up on his feet before he turned to leave the dark forest, his flashlight already running low on batteries. The light would flicker occasionally as he carefully scanned each and every rock, tree, and river in hopes of seeing a mop of curly black hair and a blue hoodie. 

By the time David made his way back to the Counselors cabins, Gwen was sitting outside on the porch awaiting him, a lit cigarette in her hand. 

The moment she heard David come closer she looked up, a blank look in her eyes. "Welcome back. Did you find anything?" She asked, taking a drag off the cigarette.

Before David could even answer, he felt his eyes well up with tears. He shook his head and sat next to the brunette, his head in his hands in defeat before he sniffed loudly.

"Oh, David..." Gwen murmured gently, placing her arm around the usually chipper man. "Look, you're doing your best. I checked around the camp and started asking around a little bit..." However she was interrupted by a loud, wet sob by her side. Quickly snapping her gaze toward David, her heart sank at the sight in front of her.

Tears continued streaming down David's face and he sobbed loudly, covering his mouth with his hand in hopes of keeping himself together. But to no avail he just sat there crying, leaning against Gwen. "I-I should have been more careful. I left him in the cabin! H-He...I thought-" Attempting not to hyperventilate David allowed his words to fade away.

Gwen never knew what to do in situations like this, she was probably the worst person when it came to comforting. But in this case she knew she had to do her best. Running her hand through David's red hair, she spoke gently in hopes of calming him down. "You're doing all you can...We will find him I promise! We already spoke to Mr. Campbell and he promised to look for him." Under no circumstances did Gwen trust Mr. Campbell, especially now. But, if it helped calm David down she would do her best to give him hope. 

Gradually calming down, David wrapped his arm around Gwen in a side hug. "Gwen...He called me Dad the last time I saw him. He called me Dad." He whispered, playing the memory back in his mind. "I've spent so long idolizing Mr. Campbell and hoping he'd be a father figure to me. But the moment Max called me Dad I knew that I was finally something to someone. I wasn't 'Camp man' anymore. I wasn't 'annoying David who tries too hard' either. I was 'Dad'." 

Sighing softly, Gwen felt tears forming in her eyes as well. "David, I promise we will find Max. Just please don't give up."

\-----------------------------------------

"Woah there buddy!" Daniel laughed blankly as Max ran into him at full force. Having been cleaning out the sink to hopefully wash the purple stain out, the cultist had taken his eyes off of Max for what felt like just a moment. He wasn't too concerned, all the doors and windows were locked and the apartment was void of anything that Max could really break seeing as Daniel only kept the bare necessities. Besides, Max's mind was so out of it he probably couldn't do much damage.

Yet that moment was a moment too long. As Daniel continued scrubbing the purple tint away the boy refused to leave him alone. Either running into him or tugging on his shirt to asking stupid questions, Daniel wondered to himself if David had to go through this on a daily basis.

Once the boy collided with Daniel once again, he finally turned around to see what the little shit wanted. "Yes Max?" Daniel did his best to hide his annoyed tone by talking slightly sweeter than usual. 

Max stood there looking up at Daniel, a wide smile on his face. Without saying anything for a few seconds he finally began to talk. "I love you, Daniel! Want to know something?" He laughed, blue eyes shining in excitement.

Confusion was evident on the blonde's face, but he tried to hide it. "Not really. But I feel like you're going to tell me anyway." He spoke passive aggressively, drying his hands on the white hand towel splayed against the spotless counter. 

Still Max's smile never faltered. "Yuh-Huh! You remind me of someone." Taking a deep breath, Max turned around and continued running around the apartment without waiting for an answer from the older.

Eye twitching in annoyance, Daniel had to count to ten in hopes of not murdering the boy. What did that comment mean? Why was he so hyper? Sure the purification process made people feel happier, but during the first time Max went through it he wasn't near this energetic. 

 

Drumming his fingers against the counter's surface, Daniel continued to ponder. It was odd seeing the kid so happy, getting used to this would be hard. What was one even supposed to do with kids anyway? Were you supposed to feed them? Or did they feed themselves. Was Max hungry? How old even was this brat? Is this how you get a kid?

"Max! Could you please come here a second?" Daniel called kindly, watching the boy freeze in his spot before slowly turning around and running back to Daniel in excitement.

Instead of pausing in front of him like Daniel anticipated, Max kept running and wrapped his arms around Daniel in some sort of hug. Looking up at the blonde happily, Max held on tighter. "Hi Daniel!~" 

Daniel allowed himself to smile softly at the boy's actions, ruffling the black curls almost affectionately. Daniel suddenly paused upon the realization of what he was doing, quickly drawing his hand back, he allowed himself to instead move it toward Max's shoulder. "How would you like to help me with something? Something very important."

Eyes lighting up at even thought of being useful, Max felt a strange sense of deja vu. Yet, he decided to ignore it. "Yeah! Okay! What do you want me to do?" He smiled proudly.

Rolling his eyes, Daniel kind of wished Max would let him go, or at least loosen his hold. "Well, I'm going to help a bunch of people reach Ascension!" Placing both hands on Max's shoulders, Daniel pushed the boy off of him. Kneeling in front of Max to be at eye level, he continued talking. "But, to do that I need your help! I need you to do absolutely everything I say without any hesitation."

Making an annoyed noise at being pushed away, Max frowned slightly at the older's actions until he saw Daniel kneel in front of him. Suddenly smiling again, he nodded frantically. "Yeah!" He chimed excitedly.

Completely letting go of Max, Daniel stood back up and took a few steps back. The child's clinginess already starting to unsettle him. "Perfect. I know I can trust you." Right as the cultist was going to turn away, he was interrupted by an all too familiar tug at his shirt.

"Daniel? Will I ever reach Ascension too?" Max asked uncertainly. 

"Of course." Daniel smiled, "Just follow my orders and you'll make it. I promise."

\-----------------------------------------

Taking care of a kid was much harder than Daniel anticipated. He had hoped that Max wouldn't need anything and within a day or two the entirety of Camp Campbell would be murdered and Daniel could continue with his life. But, it proved to be the opposite. 

Standing on the counter, Max flipped through the cupboards in hopes of finding anything edible. But, even that was proving difficult. Whenever he opened one of the small doors, there wouldn't be any food. Instead lined boxes of poisons, cleaning supplies, and a single box of Koolaid. 

With a small frown, Max felt the sting of disappointment gradually making itself known. He hadn't felt the foreign emotion in quite a while. All he remembered was Daniel and the warm fuzzy feeling of happiness residing inside him. 

Jumping off the counter Max decided he'd ask Daniel where he kept the food when he returned. For the last couple of days Daniel had been leaving the apartment for a while and sometimes would come back covered in blood. Not that Max minded though. Whenever asked about it Daniel always said it was work. So Max didn't care too much about his leaving.

However, Max wasn't allowed to leave the apartment at all. He wasn't even supposed to turn the TV on or the radio. Something about "staying hidden" or whatever. Max didn't exactly know what Daniel meant by that and nor did he care. Begrudgingly he followed the rules so he could reach Ascension. 

Suddenly the door clicked open and Max made a mad dash toward it to greet Daniel. Practically flying forward, Max wrapped his arms around Daniel in a hug only to quickly let go in disgust.

"Ugh, Max. Look at you. Next time give me some warning and I'll clean up before you hug me. We already talked about this."Daniel sighed in annoyance, kneeling down to wipe some of the blood off Max's cheek. 

However Max just leaned into the touch, a smile spreading across his face at the action. "I missed you Daniel! I missed you a lot! I'm really hungry!" Smile suddenly turning into a frown as he spoke, Max felt something weird. His stomach hurt and he felt sick. "Daniel, I don't feel good." He whispered.

Picking the boy up with ease, Daniel carried him to the kitchen before placing him on the counter. "Just ignore it. Tell you what, tomorrow I'm going to take you on your first mission with me!" The day was finally coming. "We are going to visit somewhere called 'Camp Campbell' and we are gonna help everyone there reach Ascension! Won't it be great? I'll need your help though."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah this is dark


	9. Accidents Happen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max is just a clumsy kid who sometimes messes up. But that's normal. Right? After all, accidents happen.

Planning his attack was proving to be more difficult than Daniel anticipated. The clock would tick on and on during the latest hours of the night as Daniel remained in the same spot under a dimly lit lamp, planning the perfect murder. A fine point pen wrote smoothly across the notebook paper, jotting down any and every idea that even came to mind for the demise of Camp Campbell. However, there was always some variable that would lead to getting caught. For the past few hours Daniel kept his focus intensely only on his planning. However, he was getting irritable and frankly, bored. Everything was looking the same and nothing was going to work.

It wasn't until the sound of what was probably boxes falling from a worrisome height startled Daniel out of his thoughts. Within a few seconds, the blonde was on his feet and making his way toward the back room to where he heard the unsettling noise. Passing through the small hallway, Daniel quickened his pace in hopes of getting back to his work sooner. 

Upon entering the back room, Daniel stopped near the door. The room was often used to store things from the public that would raise a few eyebrows. Often weapons and spare clothes, occasionally drugs as well. However, he was greeted with about five boxes scattered across the floor, their contents spilling everywhere, creating a huge mess. 

"MAX! GET IN HERE!" Daniel shouted in annoyance.

In what felt like no time of all, Max timidly made his way into the room, a sheepish look on his face. "I didn't mean to...I just-" he began, only to stop upon the look Daniel gave him.

Daniel wasn't angry, more so just agitated upon the mess. "Are you hurt, Max?" He asked cautiously, placing a hand on his hip. When Max didn't answer, Daniel repeated the question. "I said, are you hurt? There are things in those boxes that kids shouldn't mess around with." He kept his tone relaxed through his annoyance and concern. There was no point making a huge deal out of an accident.

Max shook his head slightly. "No, I didn't get hurt. I just, just got really hungry and I needed to, uh I just..." Going quiet for just a moment, Max continued softly, "...Can we order pizza?"

With a raised eyebrow, Daniel tried to reason with the idea. The kid was hungry, but he couldn't risk anyone coming to the apartment and seeing something they shouldn't. But, pizza was cheap and easy...

Finally making up his mind, Daniel placed his hand on Max's shoulder. "I guess I don't have much food here, so I'll go out and get something okay? You stay here and clean up the...well actually just stay here and be good. I'll clean it up in a bit. There's some things in there you shouldn't worry about. Just go to the living room and wait for me there."

As the two left the back room and made their way to the living room, Daniel felt himself scowl. Not even a few weeks ago he was one of the most notorious serial killers in the country, feared by many, taking the lives of others without batting an eye. Now, he was going out of his way to buy a pizza for some brat who couldn't even feed himself and still slept with a teddy bear. Daniel was disgusted with himself. 

But he was far too gone. 

Grabbing his keys, Daniel made his way toward the door only to spot Max a few feet away, watching him intently. With a roll of his eyes, Daniel reached down and ruffled Max's black curls semi-affectionately. "Be good, okay? I'll be back in a bit." He mumbled in a slightly annoyed tone before making his way out the door.

A few minutes after Daniel's leaving Max remained in the same place until he knew for a fact the older was gone. He then ran back to the room, almost tripping over a few boxes. His eyes scanned the room until he found just what he was looking for. 

Max held onto the small sharp knife tightly, turning it over a few times to make sure it was perfect. Once he knew it was the right knife, he pocketed it and walked back to the living room to wait for Daniel.


	10. Broken Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel notices Max acting odd, and decides to fix it. David is grieving and losing hope, and Max does something unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's about to go down hoo boy

Daniel was feeling slightly uneasy at the fact that Max had somehow managed to eat half a pizza by himself and was still going at it with intense gusto. Sure he hadn't eaten in a few days, but that's still a lot of pizza for someone Max's size.

 

As Max continued eating, Daniel took advantage of the few moments of silence as he stood a few feet away at the counter, mixing together questionable ingredients while the boy was distracted. After spending most the night finding the perfect murder plot, Daniel finally had an idea. He was going to poison the camp counselors. Daniel originally planned to just stab them, but there was a chance of them surviving and frankly that was too much of a risk. A few missions ago Daniel had stabbed someone and they survived, managing to put him in the newspaper of Sleepy Peak, thus putting suspicion on him wherever he went. With poison it could at least look like an overdose or maybe even a suicide.

 

The chemicals in the bowl were beginning to hiss dangerously. It brought a smile to the blonde's face as he continued to stir it feverishly. A focused stare as he reached toward a box of rat poison. 

 

"What is that?" A small voice asked, not even two feet away from the older.

 

Daniel had probably jumped about a foot in the air. "Max!" He began irritably, "You just about gave me a heart attack there!" He shouted. Daniel hadn't heard Max next to him until he had spoken. He was going to have to be more careful.

Upon closer inspection, however, Max wasn't looking too hot. His usually wide, blue-green eyes were drooping and he was looking extremely pale. Instead of Max's trademark vacant smile, a small frown took its place. He looked exhausted, as if he was coming down from a high. Daniel would just have to fix that.

Frowning slightly, Daniel knew what to do. "I know just what you need, little guy!" With that, he strode over to the fridge cheerfully. "How about I get you a cup of juice to cheer you up! It'll cure you of all that ails you." He spoke blankly, eyes not leaving Max for even a second. Reaching into the almost empty fridge, Daniel pulled out a half empty cup of purple liquid before handing it cheerfully to Max.

Once he was given the drink, Max downed it in a heartbeat. He handed the empty cup back to Daniel, who set it in the sink. However, Daniel continued to stare at Max in anticipation for what felt like way too long. 

 

Without warning, Max couldn't breathe. He began coughing violently, hands quickly grabbing at his throat. Panic instantly took over his features as he struggled to take a breath. It wasn't until Daniel hoisted him up and set him on the counter he began to get his breath back. 

 

"Hey now, take deep breaths. It's just the purification liquid. Nothing you haven't had before." Daniel cooed in a honeyed tone. "Well, I guess you hadn't drank it before... But, it's basically just Koolaid with some added ingredients." Smiling softly, Daniel ran a hand through Max's curls in hopes of comforting the younger. 

 

It took a few minutes before Max finally began breathing decently. Once he was calm, he just stared at Daniel with a relaxed expression before smiling softly. All traces of his bad mood had trailed away completely, leaving nothing but a vacant, sanguine stare in its place.

 

Staring up at the older, Max hummed quietly. "Daniel I-" He began wistfully before suddenly snapping away from the blonde and vomiting in the sink next to him, causing Daniel to swear out loud.

"Fucking!-I mean, it's okay Max. It's probably just cleansing your system." He caught himself quickly. "Just get it out of your system okay? Tonight we have to go somewhere. It's your big mission! Just listen to everything I say."

\------------------------------------------

 

It had been days since David had shaved. He stood in front of the mirror of the counselors cabin blankly, running a hand over the red stubble that began to form a five o'clock shadow. For the last few days, he'd stopped putting as much effort into anything he did. Gwen ended up having to step up and lead camp activities while David would lock himself in the counselors cabin. For awhile, he had been doing great! Leading camp activities and remaining active, but after the first few days, the void in his chest began to spread, filling him with guilt. It was getting to the point that even the pills wouldn't help distract him from the pain of losing Max.

 

"What a twist" he muttered to himself. Even just thinking about it gave David a guilty feeling of leaving everything up to Gwen. But, he just couldn't do it.

 

David kept telling himself that if he had paid just a little more attention to Max, he could have stopped his disappearance. If he had checked for him before he went missing, maybe listened more to his problems. The sense of guilt began to consume him the more his mind raced. 

 

With a sigh, David turned the faucet on to splash water on his face in hopes of washing away some of his sadness. For what felt like a few weeks David had been feeling so empty, no matter how many pills he took. Max's missing case had been eating away at him for way too long.

 

He had wanted to help Max become his own person, to make friends, to be comfortable talking to people. Max was like a son to him. But now he was gone. He couldn't even call the authorities, the campers had even noticed and almost everyone lost hope. Some of the campers speculated that Max wasn't missing at all, he just ran away. Others claim that he was lost in the forest. But it didn't matter because no one knew for sure.

It didn't help that no matter how often David called Mr. Campbell, he was always told the same thing. That Cameron was 'working on it' or 'He'll get around to it.' Eventually, David just lost hope.

 

Taking a few pills from the bathroom drawer, David downed them easily. He then stared at his reflection in the mirror, unable to find the energy to move. 

Just as he finally began to zone out, the sound of the oak door slamming harshly against the frame snapped him back to reality with a jolt.

Groaning in annoyance, David began to trek out of the bathroom in a disgruntled fashion. It wasn't until he saw who slammed the door standing in front of him that time itself practically froze.

Before David could even get a word out, he found himself being hugged tightly. Glancing down at Max, David felt himself tearing up as he hugged back, lifting the boy up into a bear hug. 

"Max, What are you doing here?" He choked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaa I'm so sorry! I ended up going on a hiatus! I had the worst case of writers block in the world!!! But I'm back! And it's almost the ending of this fic! Thank you all for the kudos and comments! It helps motivates me and makes me feel happy that you guys love the story!! If you want to start commenting story ideas or requests, feel free! I love hearing what everyone thinks!! :o)


	11. Please Don't Read This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel and Max finally invade Camp Campbell but things don't go according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE TRIGGERED BY DEATH OR SUICIDE

Time floated past liked a dream. Even just hugging Max felt unreal. No matter how many times David opened his mouth, the words would not come out. He was finally happy again, relief spreading through his chest now that he knew Max was safe and out of harms way. It was like a miracle.

Finally gathering his words, David did his best not to let the tears fall. "I was worried sick, Max! You were gone for so long and you never said anything before you left." David lowered his gaze down to see Max's face before pausing suddenly, his heart stopping cold in its tracks.

Max stared blankly with an emotionless smile up at David, his shining blue-green eyes heavily diluted. "I missed you David." He spoke coldly, voice void of any true emotion, his sanguine expression the only hint of feeling anything at all.

In that precise moment, a lot happened at once. The adrenaline began to kick in and David's fight or flight began to finally start. Letting go from the hug, David took a step back before he felt a prick in his neck. The floor began to sway beneath his feet before everything finally went black. 

\------------------------------------------

When he came to, David found himself staring into piercing blue eyes not even a foot away from him. Fear taking over completely, David tried to back away only to notice the rope binding his arms and legs. Shifting his gaze to take in his surroundings, he concluded he was in the forest. The tall dark trees that had once been part of so many happy adventures were now forbiddingly casting dark shadows across the clearing he sat in. 

"Why hello, David!~" Daniel beamed in amusement at the other's deer in the headlights stare. "What do you think? Nature sure is beautiful, isn't it? No prying eyes...no witnesses...It sure is great!"

As Daniel rambled on, David shifted in his binds in hopes of loosening the rope around his wrists. But to no avail, they were tied tightly. "Daniel, you did this didn't you?" David mumbled in disbelief. "You took Max. But, why?" He had hoped to keep the blonde talking as long as he could to buy time.

Upon hearing this, Daniel's smile spread malevolently. Turning to glance toward Max, who was wandering blankly a few feet away before calling out to him. "Max, come here for a minute!" Kneeling down to stay at eye level with David, Daniel moved in almost too close. "Why don't you just ask him, David?" He hissed.

Jumping slightly at hearing his name, Max made his way toward the two men cautiously. "Daniel?" He began, an air of uncertainty making itself known. "What are you doing to David?" Max's voice remained barely above a whisper as his eyes darted between the two nervously. 

Daniel placed his hand in Max's hair before ruffling his black curls soothingly. "Well, we are going to help David and the rest of the camp reach Ascension! But, I'm going to need your help." Softly moving his hand from Max to harshly grab at David's hair, Daniel tilted his head up. "David WANTS to reach Ascension, right David?" He mused sadistically before releasing the red locks completely.

The moment Daniel laid a hand on David, Max felt his blood turn to ice. A voice in his head told him something was wrong. His gut was telling him to run. But why? Daniel had done nothing but help and heal Max. He even bought him a pizza. So, why did this seem off to Max? Daniel was his savior so everything he did was right. But, it was starting to not feel that way at all.

Tears began to well up in the younger's eyes before he hastily wiped them away. "Daniel, I don't...I don't want to do this..." He whispered, choking back his sob. Max couldn't remember the last time he felt like this. He didn't remember the last time he had felt the sting in his eyes, the cold sweats, and anxiety in his stomach. It was all but a distant memory until now. But when did he feel this way? It was like Max would never be happy again.

But, he remembered the last time he was this heartbroken, something helped him. David helped him. Max suddenly remembered the feeling of David's warm hugs and enthusiastic reassurances whenever he felt this hopeless feeling.

Lip trembling softly, Max slowly walked toward David, reaching into his own back pocket to draw out a small knife. Max had been saving it for this very moment. It wasn't until he was almost a few inches away that the anxiety began to well up into his chest. From the corner of his eye, Daniel stood awaiting for Max to do something, anything to hurt the counselor. He was anticipating it. 

Once Max deemed him and David close enough, he wrapped his arms around David and hugged tightly. He then finally let the tears fall. "D-David, I just, I'm sorry I left. I'm sorry Dad...Please don't hate me! I'm sorry..." he croaked out before being cut off by his weak sobs.

David was shocked to say the least, but nonetheless he rested his head on Max's shoulder while the younger hugged him. He cursed at the rope around his hands preventing him from comforting the boy. But, David knew he had to do his best. "Hey now, don't cry Max. It'll all be okay...Please don't cry." Though he was terrified himself, his heart clenched seeing Max like this.

In that moment Max was suddenly on the ground, having been grabbed harshly by the back of his shirt and ripped from David in almost no time at all. "That's enough you two. I just want to get this over with." Daniel hissed, anger boiling in his chest upon seeing the previous scene. Turning toward Max, still lying on the ground in disbelief, Daniel grabbed his wrist and pulled him up rather harshly. "Knock it off, you little shit. Just end it now. You have the knife." Suddenly pausing, Daniel placed his hand on Max's shoulder in a more fatherly motion. "I mean, you want him to reach Ascension, right? Just one good stab and that's it. You can do it." He then leaned closer to whisper in Max's ear. "You can do it little buddy. Make me proud." Daniel then moved away, a warm smile on his face. 

Max tightened his grip on the handle before walking toward the counselor once again. This time he wouldn't mess up. This time Max would end it. He did what he could to hide his fear and sadness. It would only take one stab and he could go home and Daniel would be proud of him.

Knees shaking, Max made eye contact with David. It was then he saw tears in the forest green staring back at him. David's life was in his hands. Max had never had this much power and he hated it. A part of him hoped he would wake up any moment and realize this was a terrible nightmare. But, Max knew this was the cold reality.

Max took a deep breath before smiling once more. "David, I really am sorry for everything." He whispered before plunging the knife into his own chest. 

 

As he hit the forest floor Max heard a lot happen at once. He heard David's scream blur into pleads, Daniel's swearing and shouting, and the sound of a knife hitting the ground with a dull thud. The trees began to blur into a heavy blackness as he felt someone squeezing him into a hug. Max could have sworn he heard someone whispering to him, but he couldn't tell. He couldn't see anything at all. Suddenly everything faded away at once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is almost the end of "Nothing Sweeter than Revenge"! Thank you so much for reading and leaving so many kudos and comments! It helped motivate me! This is my very first dark fic! I have a lot of new stories planned out so I'm going to keep writing! Feel free to check them out! Thank you guys so much for everything! 
> 
>  
> 
> but for now, im gonna cry and write some fluff because honestly writing this chapter made me emotional af


	12. The REAL Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max wakes up in the hospital and talks to David.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JUST KIDDING THIS IS THE REAL ENDING

The bustling sounds of hurried footsteps on a linoleum floor and a soft beeping fading in and out gradually stirred Max awake. The lights shone so brightly that he had to squint. "...Wh..." He croaked before his voice faded out once more. 

There was another voice, a woman, but Max couldn't quite catch what she was saying before he closed his eyes once more, drifting off again.

\------------------------------------------

"-ll be okay, buddy. They'll take care of you."

Opening his eyes to hopefully catch a glimpse of who was speaking, Max was face to face with his favorite camp counselor, David.

David had definitely seen some better days. His hair was a frazzled mess and he wasn't wearing his Camp Counselor uniform. Instead, he wore a red t shirt and ordinary blue jeans. His eyes were red and puffy, but he was smiling softly. "Fuck, I'm so glad you're okay." He mumbled.

It took every ounce of Max's strength to sit up fully. "...Where am...am I?" The sudden movement blurred his vision completely and his head throbbed painfully. It took a moment for him to catch his breath.

The look of worry on David's face was enough to make Max's heart ache guiltily. "You're in the hospital. They had to life flight you to a different hospital outside of Sleepy peak." David rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "They said that uh, they weren't sure if you were gonna make it. I guess you uh..." Clearing his throat, David attempted to keep from choking up. "You had a lot of, of drugs and weird...stuff in your system...Like, a lot. They're doing tests now to see what exactly." David then sent a warm smile toward the younger. "But you'll be fine I promise! I haven't left your side since you've been admitted and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon." 

Max brought his knees to his chest as he felt a familiar sting in his eyes. "What about Daniel? What happened to him?" He whispered.

Clearing his throat, David cast his gaze down to the hospital floor. "Well, uh...He turned himself in...He actually was the one who called 911...he called them and untied me and stayed behind until the authorities came. He's in a mental hospital now." Furrowing his eyebrows, David carefully watched Max for his reaction. "He uh, told me to tell you he was sorry. It was really weird."

Hearing that just about knocked the breath out of Max. He allowed a few tears to stream down his face. "David I-I'm sorry..." He sobbed into the flimsy cotton hospital blanket.

David practically jumped out of his chair when Max began to cry. "Hey, hey, hey. It's not your fault at all, little buddy." He wrapped his arms gently around Max as he sat on the edge of the hospital bed. "You'll be okay, Max. I promise." He murmured quietly, earning a nod from the younger.

Once Max had calmed down, David backed away from the hug. "Well, I found someone who may help you feel better, at least." He smiled before digging into his bag and pulling out a familiar stuffed bear. 

Almost instantly Max had snatched Mr. Honeynuts from David. He squeezed the bear tightly. "Thanks Dad..." He mumbled, staring at the plush toy. After a moment of silence, Max spoke up again. "Does it weird you out when I call you Dad? I can stop...I never really asked you before..." 

David pulled a green blanket out of his backpack and covered the sickeningly beige hospital blanket with the forest green. "I don't mind at all, Max. I'm glad that you're finally warming up to me." He beamed as he tucked in the small boy. "Just try to get some rest. I'll be here okay?" 

 

Hesitantly, Max nodded before pulling the blankets up and snuggling into a ball. He cast one more glance at David before he finally allowed himself to fall asleep.

THE END.


End file.
